First Steps
by Magicalex
Summary: The Marauders are starting their journey at Hogwarts; though they all have their own fears. They must over come these if they want to form truly lasting friendships and possibly romance.
1. Chapter 1 - Sirius

The Black family of #12 Grimmauld Place were a particularly intimidating bunch. All of them had been Slytherins, though a couple misfits seemed to belong somewhere else. The second youngest boy, Sirius, was about to start his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He ran along the tight hallways with his younger brother, Regulus, as his messy mop of hair smacked him in the face. They were pretending to be on brooms and racing each other to the kitchen. When they arrived, Sirius had gotten their first, and he held out his hand to stop his brother. Their mother was standing in front of them, looking very stern.

"Sirius, what have I told you about fooling about in the house?" She scolded. The boys looked down at their feet and muttered apologies before scurrying off to Sirius's room. Regulus shut the door after him and sat on the bed with his brother. They were laughing, but Sirius stopped suddenly.

"What's wrong?" Regulus asked. Sirius hesitated.

"Reg, what if I'm not in Slytherin? I don't want to be in Slytherin, but what will they do if I'm not?" Sirius's voice dropped to a breaking whisper. They sat in silence. The dark walls seemed to be getting smaller. The skeleton mobile above the bed appeared to be getting larger. What would happen if Sirius was not in the House the rest of his family was?


	2. Chapter 2 - Remus

The Lupins were a kind family. Quite an ordinary one, at first glance. However, they had a great burden to carry amongst them. One which pained them each day.

The bars on the windows were thick and pulsing. His heart was racing. He was in such pain that he let out a hysterical scream that turned into a howl. The full moon glowed as brightly as the sun in the middle of summer. He felt unconscious, but he could still see everything. He saw his parents appear at the doorway, both tears streaming down their faces and unable to look at him for much longer. When he tried to lunge at them, they closed the door and locked it from the outside. He starting scratching and biting his skin. He practically couldn't feel the pain towards the end…

"Remus, my sweet boy," a soft voice woke the sleeping boy. Remus Lupin sat up slowly, and winced when his mother wrapped a bandage on his arm to cover several scratches. He swept his hair back with his other hand. The bars were no longer pulsing, he was no longer in an odd state between conscious and unconscious, and the sun was wear the moon was.

"Rem, the train leaves today. Are you all packed?" His father asked from the doorway. The child sniffed and nodded. He was both excited and terrified to begin his schooling at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Once his mother had finished, he put on his new collared shirt and navy sweater, with a pair of tan slacks. His father said the best way to make a good first impression was to dress nicely for one. He dragged his large steamer trunk down the stairs, and sat down for breakfast before leaving for King's Cross Station. What would happen if the other children found out about him?


	3. Chapter 3 - James

The Potters were a very generic wizarding family. A long line of Gryffindors, they were. Mr. and Mrs. Potter had one son, James, who would be beginning his journey in only a few hours.

A special breakfast wafted through the house and tickled his nose. A crisp morning breeze from the slightly cracked window brushed along his cheek. The warm sun kissed his head. The Gryffindor banner that was pinned messily to the ceiling fell and glided onto the boy, finally waking him. James scrambled and yelped before falling out of bed. His mother came rushing, but just stopped and crossed her arms when she saw her eleven year old son, on the floor, covered with the banner she had warned him to pin properly. He smiled sweetly and stood up, then followed his mother down for breakfast.

"James! Big day, son," Mr. Potter greeted. James smiled and sat down. The bacon started floating to his plate, but he grabbed it before it reached it's destination. His mother scolded him, but his father convinced her to leave him be.

Once he had finished and thanked his parents, he quickly trotted up to his room to get ready. He spent fifteen minutes deciding what to wear. Quidditch sweater? No. Dress clothes? Too formal. He finally settled on just a plain t-shirt and worn jeans. Another fifteen minutes were spent on his hair. Straight back? No. Pompadour? Goodness, no. He eventually gave up and just let it dry into the natural curly mess that grew like a forest on his head. Once finally dressed, he grabbed his rectangular glasses and streamer trunk, then headed out the door with his parents on pursuit of King's Cross Station. What would happen if the other children didn't like him?


End file.
